Vesper Martini
"Shaken, not stirred." This iconic line defines the Vesper, a cocktail created by author Ian Fleming for his character James Bond in the 1953 novel *Casino Royale*. It's a crisp, potent, and aromatic variation of the classic Martini, combining both gin and vodka.
Ingredients
- 3 oz (90ml) Gin
- 1 oz (30ml) Vodka
- ½ oz (15ml) Lillet Blanc
- Garnish: Large, thin slice of lemon peel
Instructions
- Chill Your Glass: Place a deep Champagne goblet or coupe glass in the freezer for several minutes until it is ice-cold.
- Combine Spirits: Add the gin, vodka, and Lillet Blanc to a cocktail shaker.
- Shake Well: Fill the shaker with a generous amount of quality ice. As Bond specified, "shake it very well until it's ice-cold."
- Strain: Double-strain the contents of the shaker into your chilled glass to ensure a perfectly smooth, shard-free texture.
- Garnish: Take a large, thin slice of lemon peel, express the oils over the surface of the drink by squeezing it, and then drop the peel into the glass.
Pro Tips for Perfection
The Lillet Dilemma: The original recipe called for Kina Lillet, an aperitif that is no longer produced. The modern substitute is Lillet Blanc, which is less bitter. To get closer to the original's profile, some bartenders add a dash of Angostura or orange bitters to the shaker.
Why "Shaken, Not Stirred?": While traditionalists stir spirit-only drinks like Martinis to maintain clarity and texture, Bond's preference for shaking results in a colder drink with a slightly different mouthfeel due to tiny ice crystals. For the Vesper, this method is considered canonical and a key part of its identity.